An educated citizenry is the key to breaking the cycle of disempowerment among the people in the Northwest region in Chuuk. No single issue deserves top priority in the outer islands today than the ensuring of adequate education for our children. It is imperative that our young generations of fanapi islanders are given all the available resources to survive in a globalized and fast-changing world. Without adequate education, the future of our State and its place in the global community will further decline into hopelessness.
Northwest Unified Schools
Fanapi Foundation provides technical assistance to the Northwest Unified Schools (NUS). These public schools were unified into the NUS during the Northwest Educators Institute held on Onoun Island on July 2-7, 2012. At this gathering of teachers, principals, mayors, municipal council presidents, traditional chiefs, and other concerned parents from the Northwest region, the participants unanimously adopted a resolution creating the Northwest Unified Schools in preparation for the Chuuk Education Reform Plan (CERP) by the Chuuk State School System (CSSS). Part of the CERP was to decentralize the Department of Education to empower more community ownership of the public schools in the various geographical regions in the State. The Fanapi Foundation supports the Northwest Unified Schools (NUS) by developing capacity and leadership development for the Northwest region which are locally known as the fanapi islands.
Summer Teacher Training
To help improve public education in the Northwest Unified Schools, the Fanapi Foundation planned and implemented the Northwest Educators Summer Training (NEST) program at Xavier High School. NEST brought together all the principals and teachers from the Northwest public elementary and secondary schools to undergo a week-long leadership development workshop. Participants learned the essentials of educational leadership, curriculum design, instructional improvement, staff development programs, team leadership, and other areas of leadership. The principals were trained to plan the academic year to ensure common goals and strategies are met. The Foundation worked closely with other non-governmental education organizations, Northwest municipal, state, and national leadership, and other funding stakeholders for planning, funding, and implementation of the Northwest Educators Institute. Learn more>
Fairo Project
Inspired by Dr. Margarita Cholymay’s work on indigenizing the Chuuk educational system to develop authentically value-centered Chuukese youth, the FAIRO Project aims to perpetuate the culture of respect (fairo) among the Chuukese youth abroad as a way to empower self-respect and the respect for others, nature, and the community where they live in the United States. Learn more>
Teacher Recruitment
Until the Northwest Unified Schools are fully staffed with fully certified and trained local teachers, the Foundation will help recruit college graduates from Fanapi citizens living abroad and from college institutions in the United States to dedicate 1-2 years of teaching in the outer island schools. American volunteers will live with local host families and engage in cross-cultural learning opportunities such as canoe-building and other local crafts while teaching.
